248 BOW TO MAKE A COUNTRY PLACE 



deep and four feet wide, which finished in the clear two feet six 

 inches in width. A stone drain was covered with ashes, over which 

 were laid planks, the sides roughly stoned to prevent the earth from 

 caving in. The steep incline of the drain solved a vital question. 

 Sills hugged the ground closely and rested on field stone, set in 

 cement to prevent rotting. The 3x6 hot-bed sash met in the centre 

 against a ridge board, thus forming a low roof, while every other 

 sash was hinged at the top for ventilation. The solid bed of earth 

 each side, covered a few inches deep with rich soil, being drained by the 

 aid of loose stones six inches deep, saved all bench expense and brought 

 plants and cuttings near the glass. The ground outside was mulched 

 with straw and weeds a few feet from the building to prevent the 

 earth from freezing. In the fall I planted closely in sand at least 

 10,000 geranium and other cuttings taken from out of doors just 

 before Jack Frost appeared. In early spring these were potted off 

 in cold frames for later planting out. We grew violets, pansies, 

 pinks, geraniums and some bedding plants in profusion, keeping them 

 free from insects and mildew by burning tobacco stems once a week, 

 and occasionally sprinkling flower of sulphur about the greenhouse. 

 A rheumatism breeder? No! not to us; heat was an excellent deter- 

 rent. Slipping and potting plants often outrivaled lecture or theatre. 



This hole-in-the-ground greenhouse made an ideal place in which 

 to start seedlings for spring planting, as none ever grew spindling 

 or sidewise. It also supplied every south window in the house with 

 blooming plants. Here were propagated in sand beds set on 

 slate and over a kerosene heater rare evergreen cuttings by the 

 thousand. The extra length of five feet in the trench was used for 

 steps to reach the walk, and as an entrance. This outdoor five-foot 

 space had a hinged cover to keep out snow and rain. Properly venti- 

 lated, kerosene stoves were used successfully for heating and in 

 extremely cold weather the sash was covered with light weight 

 straw matting.* If I repeated this experiment the trench would be 

 finished to three feet and four feet added to the width of the borders 

 to allow ample working elbow room. Many of the plants were set 

 in boxes and pots as well as in the ground. The growing odors of 

 that bloom-packed, underground flower pit made fragrant and 

 brightened and lightened many an overcast day. 



The 10,000 cuttings I raised every year took comparatively 

 small space, as they were set only one or two inches apart in the sand. 

 They alone paid the cost of this rough and ready greenhouse several 

 times over. The site was far enough removed from buildings to 

 eliminate fire hazard. 



*Inexpensive small heating plants are made today that would do the job very thoroughly, 

 and a large glass area covering this underground construction scheme could be heated with 

 comparatively little expense. 



